Blisters
by smaragdbird
Summary: Marcus is used to hard work but living in the future takes that to a whole new level (Marcus(Kyle, slice of life)


In the first couple weeks Marcus' hands and feet were constantly covered in blisters. Something that Kyle teased him mercilessly about. Marcus had never had an easy life but living in a robot controlled post-apocalyptic world was turning out to be harder than anything he had ever imagined. And Kyle, skinny, thin as a rail Kyle took it without complaining, without stopping once. It was just another way Marcus stood out. Even those who still remembered the world from before had 17 years to get used to it while Kyle had simply never known a different life.

Stars sat in his lap and inspected his hands before she started laughing. She didn't make a sound but Marcus could feel her body shaking against his chest.

"What did you do?" Kyle asked curiously.

"I'm working", Marcus growled at him but that hadn't made Kyle back off since the second day after they had met. So what if his hands were covered with blisters? Marcus was no stranger to hard work but the conditions here were much, much worse than anything he was used to.

"You're really not from around here", Kyle grinned and ducked his head so that Marcus wouldn't see it.

"You're not funny, kid", Marcus told him as Kyle got up. He made some sign to Star to which she nodded and promptly curled herself deeper into Marcus' embrace.

"I'll be right back", Kyle told them.

Marcus waited until Kyle was out of sight before he tickled Star. "So what did he tell you?" He asked her, trying to hold on to her as much as she tried to squirm away from his fingers.

She stubbornly shook her head so he tickled her harder and she squirmed more. He laughed nearly as much as she did, rolling them over the floor.

"I can't leave you two alone for one minute, can I?" Kyle asked exasperatedly. Star pointed with her finger at Marcus who faked an innocent face.

"She started it", he laughed at Star's indignant face. Kyle sighed but he also smiled and knelt down next to Marcus.

"Give me your hands. Kate says it should help." Kyle spread the goo carefully onto Marcus' hands. It was slightly green and made him look not as if he had blisters but some exotic disease. On the other hand it felt cool and numbed the pain. Kyle's touch was very soft, almost teasing and he worked with a look of pure concentration.

"Thank you", Marcus said sincerely, watching Kyle blush.

Once Kyle had covered his blistered hands with the green jelly stuff Marcus turned to Star. He raised his hands as claws and made a scary face at her but she only grinned.

"I look like E.T.", Marcus commented dryly.

"E.T.?" Kyle asked curiously but Marcus shook his head.

"Forget it, kid."

"I told you I'm not-"Kyle started hotly but Marcus nodded towards Star who was trying to crawl into his lap again. "I meant her."

Star, of course, wasn't listening to Marcus' objections and since he couldn't use his hands at the moment he couldn't do anything as she leaned against his chest and fell asleep in the matter of seconds.

"She trusts you", Kyle said, watching them fondly.

"She shouldn't", Marcus replied quietly.

"You got us out of there. That's good enough for me", Kyle answered with a shrug. As if the other resistance members weren't giving him shit for living together with "the robot" as they called Marcus. "How are your hands?"

"Better, I think", Marcus flexed them carefully. The jelly had nearly dried but left a greenish tinge on his skin.

"Do you miss it?" Kyle asked out of the blue.

"Miss what?"

"Home."

Marcus gave him a perplexed look. He hadn't so much as wasted a single thought on the past unless in a wish for more soap. Home was here with Kyle and Star and this bunch of misfits that thought they could win a war against machines.

"No", he said honestly. "Never."

Kyle gave him a quick smile that seemed to light his whole face up. Marcus found himself smiling back. It felt good, comfortable even just to sit here with Kyle while Star was fast asleep in his lap. It felt as if this had been something that had always been missing from his life before.

"I should get her to bed", Kyle said, looking at Star.

"I got her", Marcus replied, carefully shifting Star into his arms without waking her up.

Connor had wanted to give just Kyle and Star a family room but Kyle had put his foot down and Marcus had moved in with them. It was less a bed and more a big pile of blankets over old car seats but it was comfortable enough.

Marcus wanted to ease Star down on it without waking her up but his plan was foiled since Star didn't want to relinquish her hold on his shirt even in her sleep. Kyle lay down on her other side so that she was shielded from all angles.

"I'm glad you're here, you know", Kyle said, smiling at Marcus.

"Yeah, me too."


End file.
